Swizz Beatz Talks Giving Kanye An "Uncomfortable Hug," DMX, & More

Swizz Beatz breaks down the extent of DMX’s generosity and the length of an “uncomfortable hug.”

In the wake of dropping off his recent Poison album, the legendary Swizz Beatz took a moment to chop it up with Zane Lowe. The producer’s Behind The Boards Live aired yesterday on Apple Music’s Beats 1, during which a variety of topics were covered. Those with a keen interest in hip-hop history likely understand the partnership between Swizzy and DMX, who collaborated on a variety of bangers on DMX’s first three albums. Seeing as Dark Man X has been dealing with his own personal turmoil of late, it’s nice to hear positive reflections on his character, given his importance to the game.

“I mean, the real DMX is a great guy, you know? He’s one of the most caring people I ever met,” says Swizz. “I remember us going to this restaurant and he just wanted to pay for everybody’s food. It wasn’t like a restaurant like in Harlem or something. I forgot, where was we? We was somewhere, and it was just a mix of people, and he was just like, “My vibe is telling me I want to pay for everybody’s food.” I was like, “Well damn, that’s generous as hell.” Like, everybody’s food?”

He also opens up about working with Kanye West, as well as the etiquette surrounding a proper “uncomfortable hug.” When asked about Ye’s controversial year, Swizzy makes sure to clarify he’s still riding on team Kanye. “I think he’s unapologetic. I think he’s super passionate. I think he’s super talented. He’s definitely one of the greats. I think that we only just beginning to see the journey,” says Swizz. “I might not agree on everything,” he explains. “Even for the Nas listening and things like that, I was there with him in the beginning, and gave him a real hug, too, by the way, an uncomfortable hug.”

When asked about the parameters between a regular hug and an uncomfortable one, Swizz breaks it down. “An uncomfortable hug is, you know when you hug somebody, and they try to get off like two times, and I still hugged him. I was like, nah. I was like, “Nah, bro. I’m giving you a real hug.”